Odisha govt to help farmers to construct pigsty under MGNREGS

BHUBANESWAR: The state government has decided to help farmers to take up construction of pigsty under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). A farmer can construct piggery shelter of 21 square metre at a cost of Rs 50,000 for four pigs under the scheme to be executed by the panchayat samiti.
This decision was taken in view of the breakout of Japanese Encephalitis (JE) in Malkangiri district where more than one hundred kids died within two months.“Although the exact cause of death is being still investigated, one of the possible risk factor is existing pig population, who acts as carrier for JE virus. Unhygienic condition of the pig shed is only one of many problems, for spreading the JE infection to human being through mosquito,” said fisheries and animal resources development (FARD) secretary Bishnupada Sethi.
FARD department had proposed for construction of piggery shelter under the MGNREGS in the individual land to provide livelihood support to rural poor, improve the health status of the pigs for better productivity and reduce the spreading of this vector borne disease from pig. Sethi said Panchayatiraj department has issued instruction to all district collectors in this regard. The persons who want to take benefit of this government assistance have to show their job card because selection will be made as per MGNREGS norm, he added. “Such scheme will assist the marginalized sections of the society for construction of a good pig sty for maintaining the animals in a healthy condition to derive higher income from pig farming,” said Sethi.